So you know how it is, you are walking around the garden one day, musing on how the borders are looking and thinking they are looking ok, when suddenly you decide you do not have enough Verbena bonariensis. I had planted quite a few plants a few years ago, all grown from seed, but as I looked around only one or two appeared to be still living.
Now there are some plants I refuse, absolutely refuse, to buy as a plant. They are just too easy to grow from seed and, quite frankly, too expensive to buy as a plant. Verbena bonariensis is on this list, it is so easy to grow from seed that in my situation I would be plain daft to buy it already growing, especially as I would want several (correct that, many) and I would not be able to afford the amount I need. I fully accept that I am lucky that I have a greenhouse and therefore have the space to grow them and I have previously lived in a house with virtually no windowsills so I know how annoying it is when someone says 'well just grow them on the windowsill'.
So I purchased some seed and very quickly I had many seedlings. More seedlings than I needed really, so I formed plan B. I could have just planted them as I intended mainly in the Conservatory Border, but I decided they would also go into the Prairie Borders. I do limit the plants in the Prairie Borders deliberately. I do not want it to be become a jumble of plants I have my other borders to do that with. The Rudbeckia this year has not faired well in the Prairie Borders and this has disappointed me, so I am hoping that by adding these Verbenas next year will look a bit better.
We will see..... Postcript - there has been an unintended consequence of writing this post, because I amused myself with the title, I now have trouble thinking what the name of the plant is and now think I am growing v........s. I leave you with that thought as a problem shared is just more fun than keeping it to myself.
